Wednesday, February 29, 2012

The Rugby Championship Players to Watch - Agustín Creevy

Creevy for Biarritz vs Bourgoin

Argentine international forward Agustín Creevy has gone from being an outside contender for international honors to a first choice player and has done so in a short period of time. Creevy´s remarkable turn around came about when he was injured while playing for Biarritz as a backrower. The Basque club had contracted Creevy as a backrower, the position he had always played in. However, at the request of Argentine headcoach, Santiago Phelan, Creevy moved into the frontrow and changed to hooker. In changing, Creevy requested to be released from his contract with Biarritz and returned to Argentina in January 2009. The transition proved to be effective and Creevy was playing hooker for Los Jaguares (Argentina A) in the Churchill Cup in North America five months latter.

Creevy at hooker vs Wales

When Santiago Phelan named his squad for Argentina´s November 2009 tour of England, Wales and Scotland he did so with Creevy selected at hooker. Creevy was selected alongside Mario Ledesma and Alberto Vernet Basualdo and made his debut at hooker vs Scotland as a replacement for Vernet Basualdo. His high workrate was noticable and in coming on for Vernet Basualdo Argentina had a new found weapon on the park. It cemented Creevy as Argentina´s second choice hooker behind Ledesma (who missed the match due to his wife giving birth) and set the tone for Rugby World Cup 2011. In facing Scotland at Murrayfield, Creevy was playing his fourth test. He had made his debut vs Japan in 2005. Since changing to hooker, however, Creevy has played thirteen tests, all on the bench. But with the retirement of Ledesma the position is Creevy´s and not only because he is the player in waiting but also because he has been performing very well in the position.

Creevy for Los Pampas XV

Creevy has played for three French Top 14 clubs - Biarritz, Clermont and Montpellier. Clermont used him as a mediacal joker but as he was strugglging to get game time he requested to be released and he returned to Argentina to be named as captain of Los Pampas XV. He led the team to victory in the South African competition and did so in style as the Argentine team won every match. After Rugby World Cup 2011, Creevy returned to France this time with Montpellier and has been the teams first choice hooker. When he arrived the club was not far outside of the relegation zone but the team is now well in line to make the play-off´s and sits in fourth position behind only Toulouse, Clermont and Toulon. Creevy has been recieving plenty of game time and has been joined by fellow Argentine players Lucas González Amorosino, Maximilano Bustos, Santiago Fernández, Juan Figallo and Martín Bustos Moyano. Creevy has kicked on and is playing to a high level on a regular basis.

He is entering the 2012 international season as a player who could make a significant impact. His presence around the park is like a hooker but he has added speed which makers it tougher for the opposition to tackle him. He also has the ability to stand in the tackle and offload. It has been called the Sonny Bill Offload here on Argentina 2023 and with good reason as Creevy has shown great strength to stand and off-load to a team mate and this has resulted in tries. Should he succeed in transforming his form for Montpellier into The Rugby Championship then he could be very exciting. He is, without question, a player to watch out for this year for Los Pumas.

3 comments:

he is the natural selection to replace Ledesma, in the past Vodacom he was great, in Montpellier is getting better and better each match, was weak on line throwing at the beginning off his professional career but now, I just want to see him in the RC!!